Exhibitions

Die zweite Aufmerksamkeit - Kulturbrücke (The Second Attention - Culture Bridge)

In 1997 I decided to do a reportage about the topic of deafness.

In the course of the very first days at the school for deaf children in Munich I realized that, without sign language, I was unable to communicate with deaf people. I thought that I would not have any problems to understand or to make myself understood by means of clearly shaping sounds with my mouth; however, when a little child approached me using sign language, and wished to know who I was and what I was doing here, I did not understand anything.

This was how my first decision was made, and a week later I registered for a course in sign language.

Two years I worked on the project and took photos in Munich, in Salzburg and at the University for sign language research in Hamburg. In cooperation with the Landesverband Bayern der Gehörlosen (Bavarian association of the deaf), with Rebecca Vollath and many other helping hands I was able to complete the project.

In July, 1999 the event "Kulturbrücke für Gehörlose und Hörende" (culture bridge for deaf and hearing people) took place. Part of the program were films about the topic of deafness, the dance theater Faust, performed by deaf and hearing actors [directed by Alexandra Feil], round tables, trial courses in sign language as well as events for children.

The exhibition comprised the photo exhibition about deafness and works by four deaf artists specializing in painting and metal sculptures.

The picture post card depicting the finger alphabet, and the photo catalog about the exhibition can be requested from my studio: picture post card 0,50 € catalog 6,00 €

Ausblicke (Views)

The exhibition "Ausblicke" (Views) came about via the art association ARTgerecht. Bernd Wiedemann asked me if I was interested in exhibiting images at the symposium of nature conservation Blickpunkt Oberes Würmtal (Focus Upper Würm Valley) in the Zentrum für Jugendarbeit (center for youth work) in Gauting.

After a bit of thought I decided to make the river Würm and its natural environment my topic, and to see how people living at the riverside look upon it.

Süddeutsche Zeitung:

<<...Claudia Göppperl nimmt das Thema "Blickpunkt Oberes Würmtal", unter das der Bund Naturschutz diesen Abend gestellt hatte, wörtlich. Sie richtet ihre Kamera immer wieder auf die Würm und entdeckt dabei Ansichten, die fast als Sinnbild für einen Grundkonflikt gelten können: Der Mensch will in einer möglichst ursprünglichen Natur leben, muß aber dafür zwangsläufig Einfluß auf seine Umgebung nehmen und verändert sie. Die Bilder zeigen die Würm aus der Perspektive der Häuser, die an ihrem Ufer stehen. Dort sind Gebäude wie die Kraillinger Mühle angesiedelt, die einst zum Nutzen der Wasserkraft des Gewässers gebaut wurden. Heute scheint die Mühle aber nicht mehr wie ein Fremdkörper neben dem Flusslauf. Ihr Alter hat ihr mehr und mehr Berechtigung aus Präsenz gegeben, ihre Leistungskraft wurde unerheblich, es zählt der Denkmalcharakter.

Das Privileg, einen Fensterplatz an der Würm zu haben, ist aber nicht nur malerischen, oft schon dem Verfall preisgegenbenen Gemäuern vorbehalten. Kontrastreich hat die gelernte Photographin auch Orte ausgewählt, die sich ihrem Grundcharakter klar gegen die ungebärde Natur stellen. Der Blick von der "Webasto"-Kantine wirkt mit ihrem ordentlichem Ambiente, in dem die Tische exakt nach den Bodenfliesen ausgerichtet sind, wie ein Schiff, das sich durch die Landschaft bahnt. Und die Würm fließt in ihren unregelmäßigen Windungen unbeirrt vorbei.>> (Regine Sailer)

[...Claudia Göpperl takes the topic "Blickpunkt Oberes Würmtal" (Focus Upper Würm Valley) posed by the Bund Naturschutz (nature conservation alliance) literally. Again and again she aims at the river Würm with her camera and thus discovers views that may almost be regarded as the allegory of a basic conflict: People wish to live in an environment as natural as possible, and are thus inevitably forced to influence and modify their surroundings. The images show the river Würm from the perspective of the houses located at the riverside. There buildings like the mill of Krailling are situated, which were once built to take advantage of the water power. Today, the mill no longer appears as a foreign object alongside the river. Its age has more or less justified its pure presence; its performance grew irrelevant, it is its status as a monument that counts.

The priviledge of having a window seat at the riverside of the Würm has not been reserved for picturesque buildings frequently left to decay. Contrastingly, the trained photographer has chosen also places that oppose, in their essence, against nature untamed - for example, the view from the "Webasto" canteen, with its tidy atmosphere, its tables precisely adjusted in accordance with the floor tiles, that appears like a ship forcing its way through the landscape. The river Würm passes by, winding irregularly, unperturbed. - Translation by the editor of this web page]

Frauen & Bäume (Women and Trees)

Coming soon ...